What if everything was possible, with no constraints, what choices would you make?
What if summertime was meant to be a time of reflection, what would you reflect upon?
What if you achieved your biggest goal today, what would you do different tomorrow?
“What if” questions can be powerful questions to help you to find new solutions, see new opportunities or do things differently. These questions open new opportunities!
However, in our daily work we are often focused too much on why something can not be done. Some people are very good at explaining just that: why it can’t be done. That is such a waste of time and a waste of smart people.
What if you would focus on possibilities and opportunities rather than impossibilities?
Your world will look different!
Nobody told the inventor that it wasn’t possible.
These products, products you might know, are results of powerful “what if” questions:
Pandora Radio: “What if we could map the DNA of music?”
Cracker Jack: “What if we combine three snacks into one?”
The bar code: “What if dots and dashes could sort the world?”
“What if” questions open new views on an existing challenge. They allow you to look at an existing problem from a different angle. Try it next time you face a challenge with your team. Go for it and ask the “what if” question. Brainstorm from “what if” question to “what if” question and only then, start to work on the how.
PS: This article is inspired by Warren Berger’s great book “A more beautiful question” *